spartakusfandomcom-20200214-history
Rhenish Republic
The Rhenish Republic, also sometimes known as the Rhenish Protectorate, and formerly known as the Inter-Allied Rhineland Occupation Zone, is a rump state on the left bank of the Rhine. Along with Baden-Württemberg, it is one of two remnants of the former German Empire and Weimar Republic, and is unrecognised by the Socialist Republic of Germany and other communist countries. The Rhenish Republic is administered by the Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Representatives), the unicameral legislative body, which is led by the State Chancellor. Additionally, there is the position of President, which is legally appointed by the legislature but in practice appointed and approved by the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission, a French-led body that wields significant influence in Rhenish politics. The legislature is primarily composed of native Rhenish politicians, but also includes exiles from other parts of the former Weimar Republic. It is dominated by the German Centre Party, a conservative Catholic party led by the former Mayor of Cologne Konrad Adenauer. History Collapse of the Weimar Government Shortly after the outbreak of the German Civil War, Ebert's Social Democratic government, although retaining de jure authority, quickly became subordinated to military leaders such as Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, while paramilitary groups such as the Freikorps acted independently of these central figures despite periods of coordination. The Summer Offensive led to the total collapse of what remained of the SPD-led Weimar administration in October 1920. The absence of any central coordinating body led to increasingly uncoordinated military actions on the part of the White forces, and ultimately to the retreat of the Whites to the left bank of the Rhine and Baden-Württemberg. The Treaty of Aachen established the Allied protectorates in the Rhineland and Baden-Württemberg, which would each develop their own administrations over the following years under primarily French oversight. Establishment of the Rhenish Republic The Treaty of Aachen established the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission to administer the left bank of the Rhine in the absence of any central authority following the collapse of the Weimar administration. Local figures involved in Rhenish politics, such as Konrad Adenauer, Hans Adam Dorten, Josef Friedrich Matthes, and Franz Josef Heinz, had begun advocating for autonomy and even independence for the Rhineland after the November Revolution, and in the aftermath of the May Revolution and subsequent civil war, they began fervently advocating for a definitive break with the failed Prussian government. Local political leaders negotiated with the French occupiers to organise a Rhenish legislature which would advise the ruling High Commission. The French were eager to foster a regional Rhenish identity to eliminate pan-German sentiment, and agreed that giving the local people a voice in politics—however small—might aid in quelling revolutionary feelings among the populace. The Rhenish political leaders were also much more amenable to political and economic cooperation with France than the Prussian politicians. In 1921, therefore, an advisory committee made up of Rhenish political leaders and the mayors of the major cities was established to advise the High Commission, and the first elections to the Rhenish legislature occurred in 1924. The position of President was established in 1925, following the 25 May Coup in France. Challenges to Rhenish Legitimacy A large part of the population, including most of the refugees from other parts of Germany who have chosen to settle in the Rhenish Republic, continue to oppose the establishment of a Rhenish identity separate from the pan-German identity. One of the deepest political divisions in Rhenish politics more generally is whether to reclaim the mantle of German republicanism, or to continue fostering a Rhenish identity. The situation has helped to fuel the rise of the German ultranationalist Artaman League, which entered government after the 1929 elections. Category:Countries Category:Republics Category:Members of the French Entente Category:German Nations Category:Capitalist States